MP blames short-term lets for housing shortage and council strain

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A Private Members’ Bill to set up a national register of short and holiday-let accommodation has had its first reading in the Commons.

Karen Buck’s Bill aims to ensure councils could better monitor breaches of the rules around rental periods and act swiftly to deal with noise, waste and other nuisances. She said the sector had become highly commercialised and there was now a need to know who was letting property, where they were letting it, and for how long.

Significant shift

“It is clear that the short-let tourist accommodation sector is now dominated by whole property lettings in many areas, including owners with multi-property listings,” the Labour MP said. “That suggests a significant shift into that market by individuals and businesses who would otherwise be in the residential lettings market, or making property available for sale.”

Buck added that it was nearly impossible for councils to enforce existing rules and said the growth of the short-term let industry had created an uneven playing field in the hospitality sector. “Traditional providers such as hotels are required to bear the costs of business rates and corporation tax, and comply with regulations, not least in respect of health and safety, whereas short-term let owners do not.”

More controls

Christopher Chope MP argued that because of fears the government was going to introduce more controls in the residential lettings market, many people had moved away from residential shorthold leases. “The Bill will be an attack on good, responsible citizens and small businesses who are trying to help meet a need by providing the short-let and holiday accommodation,” he added.

In January, the government promised to look at setting up a holiday lets register for England, while Airbnb has also called for a national register. The Short and Holiday Let Accommodation (Registration) Bill will get a second reading on 2^nd May.

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